Adaptable red-shanked bunching onion

• Suited to prepacking and fresh market
• Multiple red coloured sheaths leaves
• Single stems
• Dark green leaves
• Contrasts well with white-stemmed varieties in pre-packs

Plant Characteristics
Plant Spacing: Optimal plant population is 2, 000 000 - 2, 500 000 plants/ha, depending on size required. Allow for in-row
spacing of 20mm, inter-row spacing of 200 - 250 mm between rows. For best results spring onions must be produced on
raised beds.

Variety Characteristics
Climatic Requirements: Soil temperatures for germination:
minimum: 10°C
optimum: 24°C
maximum: 35°C
Air temperatures for plant growth:
minimum: 12°C
optimum: 24°C

Soil Requirements: Sandy loam to loam soils with good drainage characteristics. Well drained and light textured soils
produce clean and well-presented end product. Avoid soils with pH lower than 6 - nutrient uptake is affected at these pH
levels. Spring onions in general are sensitive to saline soils.

Nutrient Guidelines: N required / ton spring onions produced: 3.9 kg / ton product.
P required / ton spring onions produced: 0.7 kg / ton product.
K required / ton spring onions produced: 4.1 kg / ton product.
Apply Ca as CaNO₃ top-dressing during the initial growth of young plants. Apply micronutrients as foliar feed or as
fertigation to plants. Do not over apply N as this may lead to quality problems with the end product.

Irrigation Guidelines: Keep soils moist, avoiding crust formation after planting to aid seedling emergence. Bunching
onions have shallow root systems - frequent irrigation if essential for the crop. Water required from planting to emergence: 15 - 20 mm / week. Water required from emergence to seedling establishment: 20 - 25 mm / week. Water required from
seedling establishment to maturity: 25 - 35 mm / week.

Weed Control: Bunching onions compete poorly against weeds in field as they take long to canopy. Early field cultivation
will control most weeds, easing pressure on the growing crop. Mechanical cleaning of fields is not advisable as this will
cause damage to plants.